On the Olympic Wave: Insights from ISA President Fernando Aguerre before the Worlds

We’re thrilled to sit down with Fernando Aguerre, President of the International Surfing Association, fresh off the exhilarating surfing competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics. With surfing now firmly established on the Olympic stage, Fernando reflects on the journey so far and what lies ahead for the sport. As we look forward to the upcoming ISA World SUP & Paddleboard Championships in Copenhagen, there’s growing buzz around the possibility of SUP Racing becoming an Olympic discipline. Fernando shares his insights on this prospect, the return to Denmark, and what the future holds for SUP athletes worldwide. – Photos: Pablo Franco (ISA)

>> RESULTS of the 2024 ISA World SUP & Paddleboard Championships

Hello Fernando, congratulations on a remarkable Olympic surf competition in Teahupoo for your second Olympic Games. How does it feel to witness surfing’s continued success on the world’s biggest stage?

Amazing. I think we exceeded all expectations. We spent the last 2 days in Paris at the Olympics and everyone was talking about surfing.  Teahupo’o offered us some incredible conditions.  And even if we had to pick and choose carefully the competition days, I think the whole world was able to see the power and beauty of this magical place, but also the extraordinary value of our sport.

There’s been a lot of talks these past few years around SUP racing potentially making it to the Olympics. What are the real chances of this happening for 2028 or 2032, and can you share any insights from the behind-the-scenes discussions?

Thanks to surfing being included in the core program of the LA28 Olympics, the IOC offered the ISA in 2022 the opportunity to propose new disciplines and events to the LA28 Olympic Program.  The ISA put forward SUP racing as a new discipline. After a lengthy application and review process of all IF proposals (there were many), the IOC announced in October last year that SUP would not be added to the LA28 program.

Basically, the IOC looked at the cost and operational impact of all the IF proposals, and decided that new disciplines would only be considered only as replacements for an existing discipline and/or events. This was a big disappointment for us, of course, but will not deter us from continuing to paddle for SUP now in Brisbane in 2032.

Let’s also not forget that, thanks the ISA’s efforts and leadership, we’ve had hugely successful SUP surfing and SUP racing events at the Pan Am Games in Lima 2019 and again last year in Santiago, Chile.  The Pan Am Games are one of the largest multi-sport events managed by the Olympic Movement and a great stepping-stone for the Olympics.  We’re excited that the Pan Am Games are going back to Lima in 2027, where SUP will again be featured.  I think this has been and will continue to be an amazing platform for our top athletes.

In just a few weeks, the ISA Worlds are returning to Copenhagen. What led to the decision to come back to Denmark and work again with the Danish Surf & SUP Federation?

The Danish Surf & SUP Federation have been good partners and had always expressed their desire to bring the World Championships back to Denmark.  They have strong institutional partners in the city of Copenhagen and on a national level, and they are well-organized.  They had started the conversation already back in early 2023 and meeting all the ISA requirements, it made a lot of sense to go back.

The racing venue in Copenhagen is unique, with competitions taking place in the heart of the Danish capital. Having been there in 2017, what can you tell us about the significance of this venue and what athletes can expect?

The venue is in the heart of the city and will be dynamic and exciting.  There are actually 2 different locations with the distance races in and around the Copenhagen harbor, while the technical and sprint races will be on a nearby beach.  All very close and compact and will offer the public and the athletes a great experience.

Last year’s ISA World SUP & Paddleboard Championship in France was a huge success with excellent conditions for both surfing and racing. How did you feel about the event watching from a distance, and what were the key takeaways according to you?

Les Sables d’Olonne was an excellent venue and they showed they were able to deliver a world-class event in a very short time.  The key takeaway for me was that our model of combined SUP racing and surfing is not only viable, but highly successful in the right location like this that has both the waves and flatwater or smaller surf.  The other key element for me was the great local activation and participation from the public.  We were fortunate to have excellent weather which helped bring some of the biggest crowds we’ve ever had for a SUP Worlds and the success of the French team helped in this regard as well.  We’d love to go back and are conversation with the mayor about a future edition.

2 x 2023 ISA world champion Shuri Araki salutes in Les Sables d’Olonne

We noticed that SUP surfing is not part of the competition this year. Is this a temporary change, or is SUP surfing being phased out from the ISA Worlds going forward? Will the 2024 SUP Surf event happen somewhere else?

Yes, this was an exception based on the unique conditions in Denmark and the lack of waves.  We remain fully committed to SUP surfing in the future, although it looks like unfortunately we unlikely be able to find a host for the SUP Surf portion only this year.  We are actively working on potential hosts for the combined event next year.

Many expected SUP surfing to be part of the Longboard World Championship this years? Wouldn’t this be a good option going forward?

While the idea of combining the SUP Surfing with an existing ISA event sounds nice, on a practical and economic level it didn’t really work.  We are continuing to explore options for a stand-alone event, even for this year, but the best solution is for the two events to be combined.

The Copenhagen Paddle Festival from September 16-22 includes an open-for-all race with close to 300 participants already registered for the 2k, 5k, or 9k distances. What message would you like to share with paddlers who have not registered yet?

SUP is one of the most accessible and easy sports to enter, especially as a beginner. It’s a great way to connect to the environment, stay healthy and get close to the athletes. Don’t miss your chance to register and take an active part in the event!

Any final thoughts or words of encouragement as we approach the 2024 ISA World SUP & Paddleboard Championships in Copenhagen?

SUP is one of the world’s fastest growing water sports.  It’s fun, dynamic and youth-oriented.  The ISA remains fully committed to its continued growth, development and promotion, also as a sport worthy of the Olympic program. We are excited for the future of SUP and can’t wait to see the performances of our athletes in Copenhagen and beyond.

Get ready for the 2024 ISA World SUP & Paddleboard Championships:
Official ISA Event Website

Copenhagen Paddle Festival and OPEN race registration:
Copenhagen SUP